<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Final Enchantment by mingomangomongo</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23791180">The Final Enchantment</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mingomangomongo/pseuds/mingomangomongo'>mingomangomongo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>What Belongs To Water, Returns To Water [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>EXO (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Fantasy, M/M, Magic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:08:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>829</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23791180</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mingomangomongo/pseuds/mingomangomongo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jongdae would not send him into battle without enchanting his blade one last time.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongdae | Chen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>What Belongs To Water, Returns To Water [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1713997</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Final Enchantment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>cross-posted from aff. originally posted in november 2017</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"<em>Jongdae</em>!" </p><p>As the blade slid from his flesh, Kyungsoo's shout echoed around Jongdae. It chilled him more than the steel that had plunged into his body – it numbed Jongdae, a bitter anesthetic against the pain. </p><p>Jongdae would never find out how Kyungsoo had made it to his side so quickly, swift enough to catch him in his arms before he struck the ground. All he knew in that moment was that Kyungsoo held him and wept, tears dripping down a usually stoic face. All he felt was the sensation of a cruel <em>nothing</em>, a lack of feeling that was creeping just beneath his skin. Jongdae was beginning to lose himself. </p><p>Baen was an affective substance against his kind, and it had coated his assailant's blade. </p><p>Jongdae and Kyungsoo had been jumped. The pair had been traveling toward the caves of Yrnthel, on a mission to rescue the men, woman and children who were being held hostage there. They had only just stopped to rest for the night, and the man who had been following them had materialized from the shadows to do what he had come for.</p><p>He stabbed Jongdae, and vanished. </p><p>"Jongdae," Kyungsoo whispered. "Please..." </p><p>Jongdae coughed. Red, red blood painted his lips, the color striking against the elf's pallid skin. "...soo," he breathed. The first syllable of the warrior's name was lost, too difficult for the dying man to utter. </p><p>"I won't let you go," Kyungsoo murmured, his words shaky. "I will never let you go, Jongdae."</p><p>The elf's smile was sad. Humans, humans and how sentimental they always had to be. Kyungsoo couldn't prevent Jongdae's death. Both of them knew this, and yet Kyungsoo wanted to cling to fantasies. </p><p>"<em>Etherna elishal lial'lya</em>," he whispered. <em>Draw your sword. </em></p><p>"Jongdae..." </p><p>"<em>Etherna elishal lial'lya</em>," the elf repeated urgently. He coughed, more ruby blood casting tainted color over his lips. "Please." </p><p>Kyungsoo wiped the tears from his face, and leaned down. He paid no mind to the blood that stained Jongdae's lips as he pressed his own to the elf's, drawing his sword in the same moment. Fingers of his right hand lacing with Jongdae's, he pulled away from him and whispered, "I am always going to love you, Jongdae." </p><p>"<em>Deihal</em>," murmured Jongdae. It was an Elven word that had no true translation in any human language, but he had long ago told Kyungsoo that it came closest to something along the lines of <em>eternity </em>and <em>love</em>, if they were mashed into one and combined with something like <em>fate</em>. It was something that couldn't be explained in words, and only felt. </p><p>"<em>Deihal </em>indeed," Kyungsoo breathed. </p><p>Jongdae weakly raised one hand, and Kyungsoo placed the tip of his sword against the elf's palm. Green light wrapped around Kyungsoo and his blade, originating from the dying elf. A powerful enchantment was weaving itself into the human man's blade, an enchantment that Jongdae had cast many times over. </p><p>This time, the enchantment was the final one – Jongdae would never be there to enchant Kyungsoo's blade before a battle again.</p><p>"<em>Edreth</em>," Jongdae murmured, and the enchantment settled in place. The green light dissipated, leaving Jongdae and Kyungsoo in darkness. <em>"Liarna ke zjrnhul</em>." </p><p>Kyungsoo sheathed his sword and held Jongdae firmly to his chest. "Against my own wishes, love," he murmured, pressing a kiss against the elf's forehead. "I will return you to the rivers you were born from." </p><p>The warrior rose, and strode into the darkness. He made his way toward the edge of the cliff, a pale blue light guiding him. As Kyungsoo walked, he felt Jongdae's heartbeat and breathing slow. His Elven lover was leaving him, and there was nothing he could do to keep him there. </p><p>As the warrior drew near, he could hear the crashing of the waterfall grow louder and louder, until it became deafening. Jongdae's head rested on his shoulder, his breath and pulse gone – Kyungsoo could feel the tears well up, but held them back. He hadn't bid the elf a proper goodbye, and there would be time for mourning after he freed the hostages. </p><p>Jongdae wouldn't want Kyungsoo to cry for him, either way. </p><p>"<em>Liarna ke</em>," Kyungsoo's throat siezed up, but he pushed it away, "<em>zjrnhul</em>." </p><p>With those words, he stepped to the cliff's edge, and released Jongdae's body. Dim tendrils of green light and blue light wrapped around the elf, illuminating the scene. For a moment, Jongdae merely floated in midair, face serene as though he slept; but then he dropped, descending toward frothy waters amidst droplets that seemed to rise instead of fall.</p><p>There was a legend among elves that told of an elf who was born of water and returned to the water upon her death. According to that legend, the elf was revived by the water, and reunited with the man she loved. Due to this legend, elves born under the sign of the water gods were returned to water upon death, but none ever breathed again. </p><p>Legends were only stories, anyway.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Translation:<br/>Edreth — seal<br/>Liarna ke zjrnhul — what belongs to water returns to water (rough translation)</p><p>Additional:<br/>Baen is an artificial poison invented for use against elves.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>